Defense

FormationsIf you need some help understanding the different sets used on the defensive side of the ball, take a look at our Defensive Formationssection to get the low-down. Experienced fans and Madden vets can probably skip this lesson, but it's valuable for those who don't know exactly what all the lingo means.

Play Calling

If you aren't all that familiar with football, take a glance at the formation section above to get better acquainted with some of the general ideas behind each of the packages you can choose on defense. For those who are more football literate, you may want to skip this section.

The key to calling a play is to know the situation. Instead of trying to explain the myriad possibilities you may encounter throughout the course of the game, we've deconstructed it by individual down situations. By no means do these tell you exactly what to call; that depends on the team you're playing with, who you're playing against, etc. But these can serve as general guidelines to help you get into the right defensive frame of mind.

First Down:

First down is a fresh slate. Your opponent can and will do anything, so you need maximum flexibility. This is the down where you want to call something kind of general, and make plays with your individual players. The 4-3 DE Contain is a good first down play, as it accounts for many different scenarios, including a running QB.

Second and Long:

If it's second and seven or more, you should put a Nickel defense in to ensure that you've got the maximum number of targets covered. Just be vigilant at the snap and make sure you're also covered short, should they try to surprise you with a run.

Second and Short:

Second and short can be problematic. If it's really short (like inches), you can almost be certain that a team is going to give the pass a try, because they have nothing to lose. This is what makes second and short the toughest playcalling situation in football. Usually, sticking with some sort of man coverage in a 4-3 is the best bet. But leave a safety back in case the offense decides to go long.

Third and Long:

Third and long is a passing down. For this, you can feel confident about calling a Dime package. However, in this set, you'll have to control one of the inside linebackers and cover anything across the middle, or coming out of the backfield.

Third and Short:

If it's under three yards, it's likely that the opponent will attempt a run... but not always. Therefore, sticking with a 4-3 and collapsing the line would be a good idea. If you are confident there's going to be a run, you can line up in a Goalline and really make things cramped.

Any Down and Very Long:

If a team is trying to pick up twenty+ yards, you'll want to switch to a defense that covers deep. The Dime is a good start, but you may want to go as far as a Prevent, which is designed to keep the play in front of you. The worst thing you can do on a long-yardage situation is crowd the line and allow the offense to go over the top.

When should you blitz? In Madden it pays to blitz more often than it does in the NFL. Getting to the quarterback disrupts the play, resulting in more turnovers and incompletions. If the QB doesn't have the time to make decisions, he may make the wrong one. Also, if you get in on the QB right away, there may be no time for the play to develop, and he'll be forced to go to a different option, or throw the ball away.

Blitzing on first down is almost never a bad option, but make sure that most of the rest of the field is covered. Blitz a single linebacker and see if you can disrupt play that way. On running downs, don't feel bashful about bringing a lot of guys on the blitz, either.

Against teams with a lot of speed who like to throw all the time (like the Rams), or late in the game when a team is trying to make huge gains, you might want to switch to the Quarter Defense. If you do this, make sure you collapse the line (Line Shift, then press DOWN) before the snap to take away any possible inside run.

Against teams that are completely committed to the run, you may want to think about going with a Goalline defense, even when they're nowhere near the goalline. Be careful, though. If you do this, and they get through, they'll scorch you for tons of yardage.

Welcome Back, Zone DLast year, it was almost impossible to run a zone defense effectively. It was easy to run on zone plays, and it was even easier to exploit them with the streak route, or in the flats. This year, the defensive backs will bite on streak routes, and if they're supposed to be covering the flats, then they'll be covering the flats. The disadvantages to running zone defense in Madden are the same as they are in the NFL. A smart offensive player will flood a zone, putting more people in an area than the defense can handle. Also, receivers will settle down in a hole in the zone and stay there for an easy reception.

Disguise your DMadden 2005 gives you the option of turning man lock on or off. What this means is that when you are on D and running a man coverage, your defensive backs will not follow the wide receivers when they are sent in motion. This basically gives your opponent the illusion of zone defense when you're really running man. A lot of the time, this will scare your opponent, keeping them from throwing a quick button hook.

Custom Defensive Packages

On defense, you can set your best corner to cover your opponent's best wide receiver at all times. This will keep your opponents from creating unfair mismatches, like having Randy Moss on a linebacker. Watch out, however, if your opponent comes out in a set that doesn't match up very well with your defense, there is a chance that some players will be left completely uncovered. For example: In a three-wide set, if you package in your number one receiver in the slot and the defense comes out in a man zone where only the top two receivers are man covered, and if you've put your number one defensive back and put him on the number one receiver, then the third receiver on the far side of the field will be left uncovered. Check this pic for proof.

The offense at this time should hot route to a fade or a streak and he'll be open. If you call anything across the middle, then the safety will have time to recover.

What to Do Before the Snap

The time before the snap is your only opportunity to make adjustments to the play you called. The very first thing you should do (when playing a game alone... multiplayer games have their own rules) is check the Coach's Cam to see how your defensive players stack up against the offense.

If you guessed drastically wrong what the defense called, you can change your D to an entirely different play quickly by calling an audible. If you notice that you do not have enough defenders to cover all of the receivers in the formation, that can be a problem. If you see that the offense has most of their guys on the line, you're probably looking at an upcoming run. Either use an audible, or adjust other things to cover each situation.

When you're out in the Coach's Cam mode, take a look to see if there is a receiver lined up with no one on him. If so, change players and draw one of your defenders nearer to him. If it's a wide receiver, bring a safety up to cover him. If it's a back or TE, scoot a linebacker out to cover him.

When you are satisfied that you have all receivers covered, work on tweaking things according to positioning on the field. If you're covering the wide side of the field, you may want to line shift over to take away that side. Likewise, if a tight end goes in motion, line shift the direction he goes to take away the strong side run. Be wary, though. Tight end motion can mean that the offense is trying to draw your defense over to make a run to the weak side easier.

If you're confident a run is going to go up the middle, use a line shift and collapse the line (Line Shift button, then press DOWN on the left stick). If a run is probably going to the outside, but you don't know which way, or you want to be prepared to cover passes in the flat, spread the line by pressing the Line Shift button, then pressing UP. Doing this may also make is easier for you to play as a defensive end and get around the corner. However, you want to avoid spreading your line if the offense burns you up the middle. And you almost never want to spread out when facing a mobile QB, unless your middle linebacker is a stud.

You can also shift the linbackers around pre-snap. This doesn't have as drastic an effect, but it can provide a little extra help if you need it. Like the line, backers can be shifted to the left and right. Use this if you are pretty sure play is going to flow to one side of the field. On a left pitch, for instance, you'll want to shift left. To make the linebackers more of a compact unit, and seriously clog the middle, press the shift button, then DOWN. To spread them out (and flatten to the line), press linebacker shift, then UP. The latter maneuver is good if you want a linebacker to blitz from an outside position.

If you are really sure a play is going a specific direction, you can actually cheat both your linebackers and your line in that direction. Or, if you want to gang up on an inside run, but leave some room for error, collapse your linemen and spread out your linebackers. You can also manipulate the DBs, but we'll cover that in the section below...

Coverage Audibles

There is another adjustment you can make on D before the snap. You can instruct your DBs what to do. There are a few ways to go with this: play bump and run or back off. To play bump and run, hit the Coverage Audible button and press DOWN, and to drop back, hit the button, then press UP.

There are advantages to each scenario, depending on the play you already called. If you're in single coverage and fear that the quarterback is going to make a quick release on a crossing pattern, get up and play press coverage. This will (hopefully) disrupt the receivers' patterns off the line, and make it difficult for the QB to complete a pass. This is a good thing to call in concert with a blitz, as the QB will likely feel pressure and need to unload it quickly, but his receivers won't be where they should be.

You don't want to call press coverage against big, physical receivers like Terrell Owens and Keyshawn Johnson, or they might leave your corner out of position and be open for a huge gain. Use discretion when pressing.

If you want to keep play in front of you, back off from the receivers. This is especially effective at the end of the half, when all you need to do is prevent the big play. It's also a decent strategy on third and long, as you can allow the receiver to catch the ball, then move up and attack him as he tries to bring it in and run.

Using Playmaker

As on offense, Playmaker control can be used before and after the snap to further tweak the defense. Before the snap, you can adjust your zone coverage or safeties to cheat to a particularly dangerous side of the field. For instance, if you're facing Marvin Harrison, you may want to cheat the safeties towards him, simply because he is an explosive threat. Or, if you suspect a run is going to the right, cheat your safeties to the right to ensure that they will have less distance to cover should the running back break through the line.

After the snap, you can use Playmaker control to key the defense to a particular style of play. You should be ready with this on every single play from scrimmage. That means if the ball is snapped, and the QB makes a motion to hand off, flick the right stick DOWN to commit to the run. This will make all of your defenders intent on tackling the runner, where previously they may have been focusing on other assignments.

If you sense that a play is going to be a pass, flick the right stick UP, and every player on your team will key to the pass. Playmaker after the snap makes a huge difference in how your players fly to the ball, so be prepapred to use it. If you suspect a certain type of play is coming, cheat that way. Keep your finger on the right stick right before the snap,and be prepared to flick it, so that you can get ready for the next defensive challenge.

Line Play: After the Snap

There are certain situations where it makes sense to control a defensive lineman at the beginning of a play. For instance, if you're sending a linebacker on a blitz, you may want to control a lineman to help create space for the backer to get through. Or, if you're trying to play the inside run, taking charge of a lineman can help collapse the pocket and make getting out of the backfield a challenge.

If you want to penetrate the line to disrupt the play, use the bullrush, spin and rip moves, in addition to the turbo for best results. It also helps to try to pick a direction to go and stick to it. For instance, if you are lined up somewhat left of the offensive lineman, you'd want to move further left while performing a rip move. But don't always expect to get through. Playing as a lineman can be a thankless job, and sometimes will yield no significant play (aside from a few run tackles) all game.

One thing you can do to disrupt plays is jump up to get your hand in the passing lane. When it seems like the QB is going to throw, leap up and try to block the pass. Getting a hand on the ball will likely lead to either an incompletion or interception, both of which are favorable outcomes.

Linebacker Play: After the Snap

Linebackers are the safety valves and playmakers on videogame defense. Using a linebacker effectively can help fix play-calling mistakes, but you have to know what to do with him. Most times, you'll want to select the linebacker that does not have an assignment as the one to control (to see who this is, check out the Coach's Cam before the play).

Your primary responsibility is the center of the field, so you don't want to leave it prematurely. Watch for receivers and tight ends cutting across the center, and cover them by getting between them and the QB. Often, especially in multiplayer, you can sit in the middle of the field and wait for an errant pass to swipe. When an offensive player gets locked into a receiver, he/she often won't see a lingering linebacker, and that's your opportunity to jump the route and make a big play.

Linebackers are also good at coming up to stop the run. On running downs, you should concentrate on anything to the outside of the defensive line. The line will usually bottle up inside runs pretty well, but have a tough time getting to some of the outside runs. You have to be able to recognize where a run is going, and then sprint over to stop the back before he gets going.

You can also manually blitz as a linebacker. Just be sure you don't pull your guy too far out of position and leave an easy completion or run open. When blitzing, you have a couple of options. You can take an outside linebacker and try to cruise around the corner, but that is often too time-intensive. What works for us is to blitz between the tackle and the guard and accelerate through the hole. To spread the defense wider, use a defensive line shift, and open everything up. Then head through the open space and try to get in on the quarterback. Even if you don't reach him, often your blitz will draw attention away from other players who can step up and make a play.

Tackling TipsSo the opposition caught the ball and is running with it. No sweat. If you're a good tackling player you 'll save yourself a considerable amount of grief down the stretch. The number one rule of tackling is be square to the offensive player. That means face him with your whole body and strike him with as much of yourself as possible. To help with this, you can use the "face forward" control as someone is approaching.

Use turbo when tackling to make a bigger hit, but make sure you don't just glance off of the person you're trying to tackle. Again, being square to the guy is most important. You don't want to take a bad angle and try to tackle from the back or side, or he may slough you off.

As you approach, try to think about where the player is going to be rather than where he is. Too many Madden players commit to the spot where the offensive player is at, rather than judging where he's going to end up. This results in haphazard tackling attempts, or, even worse, completely missed tackles.

Don't dive! Diving is okay at the line of scrimmage, but after that, you really don't want to give yourself up like that. If you do, you may miss and the opponent could be off to the races. Instead, just power into the guy and let the animation take over.

If you're trailing a player and trying to catch up, stay on the turbo button until you get within a couple of steps, or catch up completely. Again, don't dive. That should be the absolute last resort. It is better to give up ten yards of field catching up to a guy than diving at his ankles and missing while he scampers to the end zone.

The Hit StickThis year's Madden introduces a new innovation--the Hit Stick. This puppy allows you to unload on an offensive player and possibly jar the ball loose. The Hit Stick is a gamble, and must be timed properly, or it could leave your defense exposed.

Like we've already said in the tackling section above, the prime tackling position is square to the ball-carrier, facing him. It is unwise to even attempt to use the Hit Stick function if you are not. The ideal situation is to hold the sprint button and approach from several steps away, then tap the right analog stick in the direction of the runner at about two steps' distance. Your player will launch into the air and deliver a massive blow, and in some cases, knock the pigskin loose.

If you think that the runner might change direction right before the impact, try to predict it and switch direction quickly right as you unleash the Hit Stick move.If you guess wrong, the player will blaze by you, so don't attempt this maneuver unless you are either desperate or other players are in the area to wrap up.

Defending the PassScheming on defense is not only possible in Madden 2005, but also one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. With the addition of defensive hot routes (where you can make any player spy the QB, drop back in a straight zone, cover the flats, or blitz) you have complete control over the defense. Any route is coverable, and so is every play.

A cover two scheme is really an effective way to cover the pass in Madden 2005. If you are strictly interested in coverage, then you can take a play like the 4-3 Buzz Cover 4, which covers corner all of the routes we mentioned above except for the hitch, then send both of your defensive ends on flat zones to cover the hitch. However, you will be leaving yourself susceptible to the run and also a scramble with the QB.

Blitzes work pretty effectively in the game, so you should mix in some blitzes with your coverage plays. Also, the manual speed rush (where you take control of an end and manually rush around the offensive line) with a defensive end is extremely effective on pass plays. Fast defensive ends like Dwight Freeney and Jevon Kearse have an easy time with opposing tackles.

In this defensive play, I have hot routed the defensive ends to cover the flats. Pretty much the entire field is covered, and the only thing you can do on offense is run the football.

Playing Specific Routes

Circle: A cover four scheme will shut this route down. If you know it's coming, I would recommend a dime zone, like the safe.

Hitch: If you're running man coverage, then bumping the receiver should hurt the effectiveness of the route. Also, you can hot route a defensive end to the flats.

Corner: You can double team the receiver by setting a safety to help out on coverage. If you do this in a zone, then it's almost impossible to hit the receiver.

Be AggressiveSince we started playing Madden 2005, we've seldom seen pass interference penalties. This means that the referees will only throw flags on really blatant infractions. Big, strong wide receivers like Terrell Owens and physical corners like Troy Vincent and Lenny Walls really have been given the advantage as they can use their body to get position to catch a pass. They won't flag you if you bump your opponent a little bit, if you are trying to get position to catch a pass, that is.

The Ball SwatThe swat button will be an integral part of any halfway-decent player's strategy. Going for the interception is still a viable option, but for some reason, going for the pick in this game gives offensive players the advantage in getting the ball. The swat is the defensive player's main weapon. Pressing the swat button at the right time will produce an animation that has the defensive back way up in the air, keeping the ball from the receiver.

Defensive Catching

Ultimately, it is much easier to catch the ball on offense than it is on defense. For that reason, when you are on defense, you will not want to go for the interception nearly as much. So the question is, When should I go for the interception? The answer to that question is not a simple one. I would recommend testing your defensive players' limits. Get comfortable with how high they can jump and how big they are. That will be your answer for most situations.

When your opponent throws the ball to a streaking receiver, it is very important that you take control of the nearest defender as soon as possible. If the receiver is over the top and past your defenders, I would recommend trying to swat the ball. In Madden 2005, the DBs are given the ability to jump a lot higher than normal when they are trying to swat the ball. If you go for the pick, then there is a good chance that the defender will miss the ball entirely, giving up a big play.

If you are side-by-side with the receiver, this may be a good situation for a pick. All you need to do here is keep yourself between the ball and the receiver and you should at least be able to knock the ball down. If the defender is over the top of the receiver, what you need to do to keep the ball from the receiver is fairly unorthodox and pretty counter-intuitive. First, you need to strafe backwards a few steps (the counter-intuitive part). This will face the defender up to the ball and get him ready for the interception, you can practice this in the DB Swat Mini Camp. All you need to do now is press the catch button at the right time and you should have an extra offensive possession.

Believe it or not, but the DB actually makes the interception here. Facing up to the ball on defense does wonders. As you can see the DB has turned around and is taking his step back. When the ball comes in, he is ready to make the interception.